LEAVING STRIDER BEHIND, RETURNING TO KING?:

Felix's flaw found? (Bob Condotta, 5/20/06, Seattle Times)

It was what happened after Thursday's loss against the A's in Oakland — the Mariners held a 57-minute meeting in an attempt to right their flailing ship — that got all the headlines.

But what happened before the game might turn out to be just as significant, if not more.

During a pregame bullpen session, Mariners pitching coach Rafael Chaves said the team might have figured out the cause of Felix Hernandez's recent struggles.

The second-year pitcher, who entered the season creating as much hype as any young hurler in team history, allowed a career-high 10 runs (though just five earned) in a 12-6 loss to the A's Tuesday. He is just 2-5 with a 5.19 earned-run average for the season.

Chaves said he thinks the team found a flaw in which Hernandez's "effort level is leading to overstriding" as he finishes his pitches. That, in turn, is leading to some of his problems with control.